ABSTRACT
This moves from the different attitudes that supervisors can have to giving careers advice through to some of the information that we have about where doctoral researchers are actually employed. It explores how to get published, which along with developing a teaching portfolio is considered to be the first rung to be mastered on the ladder of an academic career. The move to flatter organisations and portfolio careers has focused some universities to look at encouraging entrepreneurialism. Having said that for most of our students there is no guaranteed career path arising from doing research, interviews with doctoral graduates indicated that five years after completion many did see advantages to their career development. The idea that the supervisor has an important role in career development planning is a controversial one. Some universities see themselves as preparing an international supply of academics, and their enculturation techniques to support this aim are well developed.
